


Day Two Hundred Forty-Five || Say it with ___

by 365daysofsasuhina



Series: 365 Days of SasuHina 2019 [245]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-10-06 07:16:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20503004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/365daysofsasuhina/pseuds/365daysofsasuhina
Summary: For many years now, the name Uchiha has been tainted by death and dishonor. But after all he's done...he can finally say his name with pride. He is Uchiha Sasuke...and that will never change.





	Day Two Hundred Forty-Five || Say it with ___

There is no Uchiha clan without pride. For better or worse, there is little rending an Uchiha’s pride in their people. To them, their bloodline is everything. No other clan loves like the Uchiha...and with that love comes a stubborn belief that those they hold dear are above all others.

Sasuke was inundated with such beliefs from a young age. To him, there was no greater bloodline to be part of than the Uchiha. They were strong, smart, kind, and wise! Everywhere he went in the Uchiha compound, he was met with smiles, friendly words, and affection. And even had he not been a son of the clan head, he would still be met by those like him with that same care and attention.

Because to be an Uchiha was to be special.

His father only pushed the idea on him further. Which made his apparent disappointment in his younger son all the more difficult to understand. Was he not...good enough? But...he was an Uchiha! And one of the main house! Surely..._surely_ that meant being destined for great things! Itachi was a prodigy, sure...but Sasuke would be strong, too! He would!

...he would…

Even after the clan was lost...even after the precious blood of his people ran in the gutters, soiled and spilled...he never lost his pride. Even if the Uchiha were gone, their strength would be remembered! And avenged...he’d make sure of it. The most skilled of them all had stolen their lives...but Sasuke swore that he’d never rest until justice was done. Until the pride of the Uchiha was secured..

...of course...it wasn’t a simple thing. Training took years, and eventually saw him leave his home, and join an enemy. Everything else was stripped away and forgotten in the pursuit of his one dream: to bring justice to his clan. But just when he thought he’d found it...a new truth was brought to light. So he shifted targets, did what he had to in order to make Konoha’s wrong right. He didn’t care that his so-called friends and teammates tried to bury the tragic truth and bring him back kicking and screaming. Even if it marked him as a traitor until his death...he wouldn’t give up on them. On his people. On those massacred for wanting their independence and freedom.

And when that was done...he was going to change the entire shinobi world. This...would never happen again.

...but as usual...Naruto got in his way.

By that time, it had been over ten years. Ten long...painful...lonely years. Sasuke was tired...so tired...so when he’d reached his limits, but the blond still refused to back down...Sasuke relented. Maybe...there would be another way. He’d been so blinded, so focused...perhaps he’d lost his path.

But that wouldn’t stop his ultimate goal. Upon Itachi’s return, he made a decision: the council had to be faced, tried, and removed from power. They were the last pieces of the game tied to the massacre. So long as they were stripped of their influence...their ideals could never again harm another clan.

It wouldn’t bring the Uchiha back...but he hoped, at least, it would bring them peace.

He, however...still had challenges to face. Itachi’s pardon, much like his own, was still met with animosity. Cleared or not, their actions still sat sourly in people’s mouths.

Some more than others.

But at least the Uchiha did not have to face them alone. They instead found themselves with new allies: their distant cousin clan, the Hyūga, came to their aid...for a small price. Uchiha became a valuable commodity to the right people, and now they were tied to another clan. Useful, yes...but with pros always came cons.

Sasuke rebelled at first. Losing his freedom to a clan as stuffy and upright as the Hyūga was the last thing he wanted. But Itachi worked to ensure their independence.

And though no longer heiress, Hinata served as a liaison of sorts between the two clans.

Which was good...she was the only Hyūga Sasuke could stand. And as time went on, he found himself learning more about their subtle parallels, their diverging choices...and their striking similarities. The more he spoke with her, the closer her felt to her. Unlike so many, he held no grudge against her...nor she against him. They had a perfectly clean slate, and more than one reason to get along.

So, was it really any wonder that he fell in love with her…?

The feeling scared him. By then, it was more than clear that someone was after them: the remnants of the Uchiha...and anyone who dared to align themselves with them. Itachi’s wife and children had already been targeted...and Sasuke didn’t want to put Hinata in any more danger than she’d already found herself in as their ally.

Of course...when he brought forward his concerns, she brushed them aside, insisting she could handle herself. And that - with feelings much the same as his own - she was willing to take that risk regardless, if it meant being happy.

So...they gave dating a try. Not that there was much need - they’d already grown that close. So it didn’t take much for them to simply skip ahead to engagement.

And then, over two years after his return to Konoha...Uchiha Sasuke got married. Something that - had you asked him before they met - he would have simply laughed at. Him, married? Living in Konoha?

Well...stranger things have happened.

In the wee hours of the morning after their marriage, Sasuke snuck out of the house, and made his way across the village. Almost no one was awake, even the bars closed down and empty. But he wasn’t looking for any business, or in fact any person.

...living, at least.

Kneeling at the foot of his parents’ headstones, he remained in silence for a good long while, just...thinking. About all he’d seen, done, and come to be. How - in the end - he couldn’t bring himself to regret any step in his journey. Here, and now...he was exactly where he needed to be.

“...I think I’ve done it,” he murmured, voice small in the oppressive silence of the night. “I think I’ve reached a point where...I can finally be happy again. And not just in a moment. Not just...fleetingly. But for the rest of my life, however long it stretches.”

Another long silence. “...I hope your pride in me outshines the shame I brought you. I know my actions were often flawed...and I hope you can forgive me. In all I did, for all those years...I thought of you. Acted for you. Strove to bring you peace, even if I’d never find it myself. All I ever wanted was to avenge you. All of you. I think...I’ve gotten as close as I can to that. I hope it’s enough.”

Staring at his mother’s name, Sasuke sighed. “...and I know what you’d say now. You’d say...that my work was done. That I’ve toiled enough. That it’s time for _me_ to rest, and to be happy. Well...I dunno if I can quite yet. There’s still threats to face, for those of us still here. We’re not safe. But I’ll do everything...and _anything_...to protect us. I won’t let another drop of Uchiha blood be spilled by our enemies. I swear...I’ll be strong enough this time.”

Unbidden, his jaw clenched, chin shaking and a few traitorous tears slipping down his cheeks. “...I can say it with pride, now...no matter what anyone says. I am an Uchiha...and no matter how written in blood our path has been...I’ll never lose my pride in who and what I am. Thank you...for all you did for me. Even if it was cut short. I loved - and _still_ love - you all with the entirety of my heart. Maybe it will never be fully whole again. Maybe there will always be a part of me unable to heal. But...I hope this will be enough. That _I_ was enough.”

After a moment to reflect, he carefully bowed forward, hands flat and brow to the cool, dewy grass. “...thank you...for everything. Please continue to watch over me...over us.

“I hope we’ll make you proud.”

**Author's Note:**

> This isn't my best cuz it's late and I'm tired / rushed, but I'll admit the ending made me tear up a bit. Had a long day and I'm pooped, BUT! I'm finally caught up. Just one drabble a day now, up to the end of the year! Less than a third left...we can do this!
> 
> Anyway...I think in reality, Sasuke never once lost faith or pride in his clan. It's more others' opinions he's referencing in being able to say his name with pride. Sure, he doesn't much care for the opinions OF others, but it's still a big deal to him that - by the time he marries Hinata - he has a real future again. A wife, a few fragments of his family, rebuilding friendships...and the justice he's always wanted for his clan. Or as close as he can get to it. Things are finally starting to look up, despite the lingering threats and obstacles.
> 
> ...I'm rambling cuz I'm tired, but I hope you get my point xD So, I'll stop there for tonight, and be back tomorrow! Thanks for reading <3
> 
> (for those here on AO3, I'll get to more comment replies tomorrow - I'm a bit braindead for it tonight, my bad!)


End file.
